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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · band · pit · file · saw · court · bear · vault

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. saw — the tool
  5. band — a ring
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. firm — decided
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. firm — a company
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. vault — a safe
  14. court — for sport
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. band — a music group
  17. court — of law
  18. firm — steady
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bear — the animal
  23. court — of a king
  24. file — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com